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The power exuded in a presentation does more than inform, it can spark new found inspiration.

I listened to Dana Lewis speak during a PRSSA meeting on April 4, and her presentation did exactly that.

After the experience she exercised during her years as an undergraduate at the University of Alabama, her hard work has contributed to Lewis’ success as the Interactive Marketing Specialist at Swedish Medical Center. Lewis works on digital and social technologies for the company while managing the Swedish blog.

Her presentation varied from talking about how Swedish started, how Swedish used social media to cater better to its patients, explaining that social media isn’t what we think it is, and discussed that social media isn’t always external.

However, Lewis drew my attention deeper when she said: “What most people don’t realize and what you should take away from is the importance of building relationships in the community.”

Key Elements for Good Relationships:

Be present

Listen

Engage

Furthermore, contributing content to the conversation is equally as important as listening because both elements contribute to developing more skills.

Lewis than stressed the importance of being a part of a community because we are essentially the only people limiting ourselves. Dana Lewis is a perfect example of a PR professional who has exceeded limits by expanding from solely Alabama PR Professionals to Healthcare Professionals in general.

Relationships and channels built can also be helpful during challenging situations. According to Lewis, the three components of a challenge are time, fear, and lack of confidence.

These three components strike close to home for me because once my week starts, I feel like every second is crucial and that I should be spending it productively. Sometimes I feel I don’t have enough time, which causes a struggle in completing everything that has to be done on my list of things to do.

Nevertheless, Lewis mentions that, “A little time invested goes a long way. Make sure everything you do is strategic.” It is important to organize time in a way that is beneficial to your future actions.

Another element that sometimes discourages me is fear. I think about the what if’s, and grow discouraged at what I lack compared to others. However, Lewis reassured me that a continuous education is key in overcoming fear. Fear is also important because it builds confidence and the persistence to persevere.

Dana Lewis definitely left a permanent mark in my mind with her closing statements. She emphasized that it takes a village to build success, so collaborating is crucial. As individuals we are the biggest obstacles that stand in the way of our ambitions and we shouldn’t let others tell our story.